YOUNG LOVE || 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀 ✔︎

sixteen

“It was so good to see you and Jennie together again,” her mother said as they cleaned up the kitchen.

“Yeah?”

“You used to be so close.”

“Mom, please,” Lisa said. “I told you, it’s complicated.”

Her mother nodded. “Yes. Because she’s married. I know.”

Lisa stopped. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, Lisa, I’m not stupid.”

Lisa feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve been in love with her since you were kids,” her mother stated bluntly.

Lisa had a moment of panic. After all these years, were they about to have “The Talk”? Jesus, she was thirty-eight years old. Was that really necessary? Well, she wanted no part of it. She turned to walk out of the kitchen, but her mother called her back.

“Lisa?”

She stopped, her back to her mother. “What?”

“Don’t you think it’s time you told me?”

Lisa swallowed nervously. “Told you what?”

“That you’re gay.”

Lisa dropped her chin to her chest with a silent groan. Oh my God. She slowly shook her head. “We’ve gone this long without talking about it,” she said. “I don’t know why you want to bring it up now.”

“Why haven’t you talked to me about it?”

Lisa turned around. “How long have you known?”

Her mother smiled. “Always. The fact that you never dated, never talked about boys, that was a clue. You were always such a private person. But you and Jennie—”

“Jennie isn’t gay,” she said quickly.

Her mother tilted her head and smiled. “I’ve watched the two of you since you were ten years old, Lisa.”

“Look, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Honey, don’t you think a mother knows when her child is falling in love?”

“Oh my God,” she muttered, feeling her face turn red. “I really don’t want to talk about this,” she said again.

“This part of your life…why didn’t you want to share it with me?”

Lisa shrugged. “Why didn’t you ever ask me?”

“I figured you would tell me when you were ready. Of course, I kept getting older, you kept getting older. We avoided the subject of your personal life. That was what we did, I guess.”

“Then maybe we should stick to that,” she suggested.

“I won’t be around forever,” her mother said. “I want to know you’re happy.”

“I’m happy,” she said.

“No, you’re not. And neither is Jennie.”

“Mom, Jennie is married. That’s not going to change.”

“Mrs. Kim was so…so demanding of her. You were so young, you probably didn’t realize how much her mother expected of her. She always had her going, going…never allowed her to just be a kid.”

“I know. By the time Jennie was in high school, our time together dwindled. I know how busy she kept her.”

Her mother nodded. “Jennie was in love with you too,” she stated.